Creative Weavings of Art: Goddard Student Brings Students and Graduates Together for New Arts Festival | originally published in Clockworks Spring/Summer 2013 issue
by Jim Sable, Business Manager of Prismatic Productions, Inc.
For 150 years, Goddard graduates have assimilated into the creative weavings of art across the world. With interdisciplinary art, numerous artistic fields are interwoven to create new and innovative ways to live in the world. When John Ollom (MFAIA ’14) [pictured above] formed his non-profit company in 2003, he wanted to support the strength of the diversity of the arts, but never realized that his growth as an artist would include so many past and present artists from the Goddard community.
For the past 10 years, John’s company, Prismatic Productions, Inc./Ollom Movement Art, has been presenting summer programs for artists in Northampton, Mass. These intensive programs have often exposed movement artists to other art forms to help incorporate related concepts into their work. Guest faculty and artists have come from the fields of visual art, poetry, film, music, voice and musical theatre. The inclusion of these artists as part of the learning experience has been the highlight of the program. This year, Suzanne Scott (MFAIA ’01) and Lynne Constantine (MFAIA ’14) will be offering a special workshop on art aesthetics, bringing their fresh perspectives of art as it relates to culture and queer and second-wave feminist theory.
To celebrate the culmination of 10 years as a nonprofit, Prismatic Productions, Inc./Ollom Movement Art is presenting its first arts festival. Featured in the program will be “Antidote: A Performative Dinner and Installation,” [pictured at left] by Dana Heffern (MFAIA ’12) which was presented at Goddard College’s Plainfield campus in July of 2012. By completely immersing the observer and participant into the life of a diabetic during an everyday meal, this experiential work educates the viewer about Type I diabetes.
John Ollom and his company of movement artists will present Prisoner of My Projection, based on his graduate research combining Jungian depth psychology, dance, movement art and surrealism. Lighting design and special effects created by Barry Whitfield (MFAIA ’14) and a unique fabric set designed and produced by Chriztine Foltz (MFAIA‘14) will invoke the unique world of this work.
The festival will also include film, movement arts, fine arts, class demonstrations and a book reading.
In addition to bringing all this creative work into the world this summer, John will be starting his G5 (final semester) at the time of the festival. He will graduate in February 2014.
The Ollom Art Festival takes place Aug. 9–10 on the Smith College Campus in Northampton, Mass. For more information about the summer program or the Ollom Art Festival please visit ollomart.com/summerprogram or like them on Facebook.com /Ollom.Art.
